


Get What You Need

by bideanie



Series: queer platonic!destiel verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Aromantic Castiel, Aromantic Dean, Awkwardness, Best Friends, First Dates, First Kiss, M/M, friends to lovers to friends, queer platonic relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 16:10:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5011183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bideanie/pseuds/bideanie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of pining, Dean and Cas have both admitted their feelings for each other, and they decide to go on their first date. Only, it doesn't turn out like they dreamed it would. </p><p>inspired by <a href="http://deancasheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/127524090141/deancas-fic-where-theyve-been-friends-all-their">this post</a> on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	Get What You Need

Dean is sweating. He’s sweating so badly that he’s sure there are patches on the armpits of his suit jacket. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous, because it’s _Cas_ , for fuck sakes, but here he is. Sweating buckets at the thought of going on a date with his best friend.

Half of him wants to run away and move to Alaska before the date even starts.

The other half wants Cas to run away and move to Alaska before the date even starts.

Dean takes a gulp from the beer bottle that he’s been nursing ever since he got to the restaurant, and notices that he’s finished it already.  He tries to look around for a waiter so he can order another one before he convinces himself to leave altogether, but is blocked by a figure standing in front of him.

“Hello, Dean.” Cas says, dropping into the seat opposite him. Dean thinks that he can hear a note of nervousness in Cas’ voice, which makes him feel better, slightly.

“Hey, Cas.” Dean replies, pasting on his Winchester Smile™.

Cas smiles at him, but doesn’t reply. There’s an awkward few moments where neither of them know what to do, or what to talk about, and it’s making Dean want to vomit. It’s not like they can even use reading the menu as an excuse, seeing as they both get the same thing every time they come here and Dean’s already ordered.

 _How can it be so awkward?_ Dean thinks to himself, fingers tightening around the empty beer bottle he’s still holding. They’ve been best friends for _twenty-three years_. Awkwardness shouldn’t even be an issue.

“So, um. How is work?” Cas asks when the silence becomes too much. He quickly realises his mistake, though, and winces slightly. “Sorry. I forgot you were off this week.”

Dean is saved from having to answer, though, when the waiter returns with his and Cas’ food. He quickly places their burgers on the table, and before Dean can even say _this is fucking_ awkward the waiter has left them alone again.

“So, uh, you look nice, Cas.” Dean says.

Cas looks down at himself, as though he’d forgotten what he’s wearing. It’s nothing different from what he usually wears; rumpled shirt with the sleeves rolled up, blue tie, pants that are slightly too big for him.

“Thank you, Dean.” Cas smiles, looking up again. “You look good, too.” He says, before reaching across the table and grabbing Dean’s hand. Both of their palms are sweaty.

They begin eating after that, and they both quickly realise that it’s not easy to eat with one hand. They’re both too determined to let go, though. The hand holding makes it a date, makes it _romantic_ , and therefore different from what they had before admitting their feelings, which is what they want.

 _Then why does it feel so wrong?_ The annoying voice in Dean’s head supplies.

When they’ve finished eating, Dean asks for the bill straight away. They don’t even bother asking for the dessert menus, because no way are they dragging this on for any longer. Dean quickly pays for their meal, ignoring protests from Cas, and before they know it, they’re standing in front of Dean’s car.

“Well, um, that was… nice.” Dean says. His fingers are itching around the Impala’s keys, and for once, he’s glad that Cas drove himself and Dean doesn’t have to give him a ride.

“Yes… it was.” Cas replies, though he doesn’t sound very convincing.

Cas steps closer, and Dean knows that this is it, this is where they kiss. He doesn’t know how he feels about that.

Dean steps closer, too, mirroring Cas. He decides to just do it, like ripping off a band-aid. He threads a hand through Cas’ soft, messy hair, and drags his head closer until their lips are only an inch apart. He gives Cas a few seconds to pull away, before pressing their lips together.

Or, Dean presses his lips to the space between Cas’ mouth and his nose.

They both pull back, chuckling awkwardly.

“Uh-” Dean rubs the back of his neck. “Try again?”

Cas nods, and this time they both lean in, slowly moving their faces closer and closer until they’re breathing the same air.

And then, just as they’re about to kiss, Cas pulls away and sneezes all over Dean’s shoulder.

“Oh goddamn,” Dean mutters. “Let’s just do this.”

He loops his arms around Cas’ waist this time, pressing their bodies together.

“I’m sorry for sneezing on you-”

“Shut up, Cas.” Dean growls. He kisses Cas on the lips this time, without missing, and it lasts about three seconds before they both pull away, stepping backwards.

“Um.” Dean feels weird. The kiss was nothing like he’d imagined it would be. Instead of seeing fireworks and feeling at home in Cas’ arms, it feels more like he’d just kissed his brother.

“Um, okay.” Cas says, “I should probably get home.”

“Okay.”

“Bye.” Cas gives him a small smile before turning on his heel and walking to the other end of the parking lot where his car is parked.                                                                                      

Dean watches him leave with a knot the size of a car twisting in his stomach.

~~

The next day, Dean wakes up feeling conflicted. He loves Cas, sure, but the date had been a nightmare. If it had been with anyone else, Dean wouldn’t have even bothered with a second date.

He doesn’t understand why it isn’t working out. He’s loved Cas for _years_ , Cas loves him back, and they  obviously get along because they’re best friends. Somehow, adding romance to the equation feels like pushing a jigsaw piece into an already completed puzzle.

He wonders if Cas feels the same way.

Rolling over, he grabs his cellphone from the nightstand to see three unread messages.

**_From Sam 8:30am: Hey! Call me when you get this._ **

**_From  Charlie at 7:30am: Bitch you better tell me how your date with Cas went as soon as you wake up!!!! Did you make out????? Did you declare how much you loved him again??? TELL ME!_ **

**_From Cas at 3:02 am: I’m coming over at nine tomorrow. I think we need to talk._ **

Dean’s eyes widen at the last text, both at the fact that Cas is coming over in apparently three minutes and that they somehow have something to talk about.

True to his word, as soon as the clock hits 9:00am exactly and Dean has put on some pants, the doorbell rings. Dean grimaces as he walks over to answer it, knowing that it will probably be awkward between them after the train wreck that was last night. Seeing as Cas is ringing the doorbell and not just walking in as he usually does is indicator of that.

“Hello, Dean,” Cas says as soon as Dean opens the door, staring intently at Dean, studying his face intensely. “May I come in?”

“Dude,” Dean scoffs. “Since when do you _ask_ if you can come in?”

Cas shrugs his shoulders jerkily, looking uncomfortable. Dean can sense he’s not going to reply, and so opens the door wider to let Cas in to the apartment. They both end up sitting on the couch together, staying as close to their respective armrests as they can, the space between them wide and empty.

 “So…” Dean says.

“So.” Cas repeats. “Did you- I- What did you think about our date last night?”

“I-” Dean’s mouth opens and shuts quickly. He doesn’t know what to say to Cas. On one hand, he doesn’t want to say that he thought it was terrible and ruin things between them and hurt Cas, but on the other hand he doesn’t want to lead the guy on. “It was-”

“Terrible?” Cas supplies, making Dean’s eyes widen.

“You thought so, too.” Dean says, relieved. He’s thankful that Cas feels the same way, but it still hurts a little. After years of wanting to be with Cas, it was all ruined by one date.

“I did.” Cas nods. “It feels as though we aren’t… compatible as a romantic couple.”

“So… does this mean that we’re going to be friends and not boyfriends?” Dean asks, hesitantly. He feels even more conflicted now than he did before. He doesn’t want any more dates with Cas, for sure, but the thought of them being friends and Cas being in a relationship with someone else hurts him more than anything else.

“I-” Cas hesitates, trying to find the right words. “I do like you, Dean, and I’d spend the rest of my live with you if I could, but… not romantically.”

“I don’t get what you’re saying, Cas.”

“I don’t think that I could watch you be with someone else, Dean.” Cas blurts out quickly. “But I think that we work better as friends.”

“So you’re suggestin’ we be like, monogamous friends or something?” Dean asks with a frown.

Cas nods.

Dean isn’t sure what to say.

“I know it sounds strange, Dean.” Cas says. “But I’ve done a lot of research on these types of relationships and they seem to work out very well. I-”

“So, what? We just stay friends, keep doin’ the same thing we’ve been doing for years and we don’t date anyone else?” Dean surmises, trying to get his head around the concept. It actually sounds pretty amazing, much better than the thought of dating him.

“We can also have intercourse.” Cas says matter-of-factly. “And possibly move in together. There’s also the possibility of marriage down the line, for tax purposes, of course.”

“Wait. Does this mean that we won’t have to kiss all the time and be all lovey dovey and hold hands in public? And we don’t have to go on awkward candlelit dates and play footsie under the table?” Dean has to admit that is sounds pretty amazing. He’s never been keen on any of those things. He’d thought that it was maybe because he hadn’t found the right person, yet, but now that he _has_ the right person, Dean still doesn’t want them.

“No, we don’t.”

“Okay, Cas.” Dean replies with a grin. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Cas grins at him, then, his nose scrunching with happiness. “That makes me very happy, Dean.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean shoves Cas’ shoulder playfully. “Don’t get sappy on me now, Cas.”

“Do you think Charlie and Sam will be disappointed?” Cas asks. Out of all of their friends, Charlie and Sam had been the ones most enthusiastic about their first date.

Come to think of it, they were probably more enthusiastic than Dean and Cas were.

“They can fuck themselves,” Dean says, before grabbing the tv remote off the coffee table and moving closer to Cas on the couch. “Wanna watch Dr Sexy?”

Cas nods, smiling.

“Awesome.”


End file.
